How Arsenal's stunning £546m summer transfer window could have gone - including Newcastle and Porto deals

The summer transfer business conducted by Arsenal has been methodical, rather than spectacular, as the Gunners look to mount a successful challenge for the Premier League title.

After watching his side narrowly miss out in the last two seasons and seeing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City pip them at the post, Mikel Arteta has brought in three new faces ahead of summer transfer deadline day after securing Italy international Riccardo Calafiori and Real Sociedad’s Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino at a combined cost of around £65m.

Goalkeeper David Raya’s season-long loan deal at the Emirates Stadium was also converted into a permanent switch. There have been outgoings with academy graduate Emile Smith-Rowe joining Fulham and the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Arthur Okonkwo departing on free transfers.

But how could the summer transfer window have played out for Arsenal? We fired up Football Manager 2024, rewound the summer back to the start of the window and allowed the world’s most popular managerial simulation to replay the last three months in the transfer window.

Ins

This was a summer of big spending and eye-catching additions for the Gunners and it kicked off with a signing that matched one they made in the real world after the virtual Arteta landed Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino in a £30m deal. He was quickly followed by Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Boateng and Benfica striker Marcos Leonardo, who arrived for a combined outlay of £89m.

There was a £106m double swoop for Sporting CP duo Morten Hjulmand and Vikor Gyokeres and Arsenal returned to Portugal for a fourth time to secure the £40m addition of Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez. Jordan Teze also arrived in a £27m move from PSV Eindhoven and the biggest deal came when £81m was handed to Newcastle United to land England winger Anthony Gordon. At the other end of the financial scale, veteran goalkeeper Asmir Begovic arrived on a free transfer.

All signings: Jeremie Frimpong (£34m from Bayer Leverkusen), Mikel Merino (£30m from Real Sociedad), Marcos Leonardo (£55m from Benfica), Nico Gonzalez (£40m from Porto), Morten Hjulmand (£55m from Sporting CP), Jordan Teze (£27m from PSV), Viktor Gyokeres (£51m from Sporting CP), Anthony Gordon (£81m from Newcastle United), Asmir Begovic (free transfer) Total money spent: £373m

Outs

There was something of a clear out of the midfield ranks as Jorginho, Emile Smith-Rowe, Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira all departed. Their exits swelled the Gunners coffers by just over £101m. Elsewhere, Arteta authorised the £2m sale of Jakub Kiwior to Juventus and Eddie Nketiah moved to Newcastle in a £32m move. Fellow academy product Reiss Nelson also left the club as he joined Brighton and Hove Albion in an £8m switch.

All departures: Jorginho (£10.5m to Villarreal), Emile Smith-Rowe (£38m to West Ham United), Jakub Kiwior (£32m to Juventus), Fabio Vieira (£43m to Inter), Reiss Nelson (£8m to Brighton and Hove Albion), Thomas Partey (£10m to Roma), Eddie Nketiah (£32m to Newcastle United) Total income: £173.5m

Arsenal squad

GK: Raya, Ramsdale, Begovic DF: Frimpong, Teze, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Zinchenko, Tierney, White, Tomiyasu MF: Hjulmand, Gonzalez, Merino, Rice, Odegaard FW: Gyokeres, Gordon, Leonardo, Havertz, Martinelli, Trossard, Saka, Jesus